This & That: Meat is good for you

This & That: Meat is good for you

In an ideal world, we could avoid killing animals for food, and we would not need to eat meat to get our perfectly packaged array of nutrients — but this is not the case for our reality.

Millions of years ago, humans were able to develop large brains, making us who we are today because of meat.

Some researchers believe that, much like some people today, the first humans to eat meat did so because it allowed them to survive without having to munch on a raw vegan diet for the majority of the day. Meat was more practical because it provided much of what early humans needed to survive at a fraction of the time and effort it would take to get the same nutrients from raw foods.

Due to exhaustive modern farming methods, the levels of nutrients in our plants, vegetables and crops are not as high as they used to be. This means we need to eat more of these vegetables to receive the right amount of nutrients for our body, which sounds like the same sort of predicament our ancient ancestors found themselves in.

In fact, being vegan or vegetarian is expensive. Greens and fruits are becoming extremely difficult for people to consume on a day-to-day basis because of how costly they’ve become. The vegan or vegetarian diet does not take into account the fact that many people in the United States live in “food deserts” where fresh produce is practically unattainable.

On top of this, vegan and vegetarian diets are often lauded as being miraculous for the environment. However, this is not always the case — at least not to the level at which they’re promoted as.

According to a study published by Elementa, veganism “wastes land that could be otherwise used to feed more people.” This is because it did not take advantage of perennial cropland, or land where crops are kept alive and harvested year round, as opposed to only select times during the year.

Though some studies say that leaning more toward a plant-based diet without the complete elimination of meat is healthier for not only the human body, but also the planet.

I do not believe this means everyone should stop eating meat all together.

It is wrong to say we should get rid of a whole part of the diet just because some say it’s what is best for them. If they are healthier and happier for eliminating meat products — great. But to assume and perpetuate the idea that meat has no purpose in the human diet anymore — or that it ever did — and to assume everyone exists within a similar financial and health situation as them is harmful and counterproductive.

Furthermore, we exist in a reality where the food chain is a large component of our natural order. Humans are not the only species that preys on other animals for sustenance, but somehow we are the only evil ones for doing so.

I do acknowledge that the meat industry has many problems when it comes to ethics and hygiene. The state animals are living in is despicable and should be one of the first issues within the meat industry to upgrade.

We definitely have a long way to go to make the meat industry less harmful to the environment and to people, but it’s all about balance. No diet is perfect.